


Transatlantic Telephone Calls

by Thefishoutofwater



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, all talk, alternative telling, episode aligned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 05:16:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13380945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thefishoutofwater/pseuds/Thefishoutofwater
Summary: The line is busy between Seattle and Geneva over the years. What do old friends hear?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N This was an experiment in dialogue that got big fast. Hope you enjoy.

"Alex is _not_ you."

"This is news to you? I'm a Director of Cardiothoracics and he's … up until recently he was Junior Dr Butthole."

"You left him your shares and your board seat, you know he's more than that."

"I was having a moment. Did you call so we could talk about Karev?"

"No. I called to tell you about my new sister."

"What! Thatcher's has another kid?"

"No. The new head of cardio is my biological sister."

"You what?"

"That's what Alex said. Then we hacked, well not hacked so much as misappropriated the hospital system. Damn! Should I say that on a transatlantic call? Are they monitored? Can you be arrested if you are recorded without your knowledge?"

"Breathe Meredith. The sister?"

"Oh yes. Looks like my mom was pregnant when she tried to kill herself, before we went to Boston"

"Are you sure?"

"After Alex found the admission papers, and we looked at her date of birth I kind of remember. So yes, if you were still here you'd be working for my sister."

"If I was still there I'd be the Head of Cardio."

"If you say so."

I say so. Just a minute the new Head of Cardio; the sister? She's **five years** younger than us? I just thought maybe she had great skin or something."

"Child prodigy."

"Hmm."

"That's what you've got? Hmmm?"

"Go get a drink and put some music on Mer. There's only one way this day ends."

"I can't have a drink. Alex cut me off."

"You're right, he is _not_ me."

* * *

"Do you realise everyone is connected by sex?"

"Meredith it's the middle of the night."

"But did you though? Did you ever sit down and think about it?"

"I have not. I think about thoracic aortic dissection repair and some of the game changing things I'm planning on publishing later this year. I do not think about sex connections."

"Is that because you aren't having any?"

"I'm having plenty and I thought you were as well, post your shower make up. So why the sex connections?"

"Oh, I took Pierce over to the house last night and we were talking."

"About sex connections?"

"Yeah, you know. Callie did George who did Izzie who did Alex who did Callie who did Mark who did Lexie who did Alex ."

"So Callie's bi and Karev's been around – this is not news."

"Not sure Wilson was thrilled with the conversation."

"Is Wilson ever thrilled?"

"A fair point."

"So, can I go back to sleep now?"

"Night Cristina."

"You need to deal with this Karev. What do you expect me to do? Ring and check she's ok because your girlfriend got naked in front of her?"

"She didn't get… oh for God's sake! You need to speak with Mer. This is beyond me. I really thought she'd run off, got drunk and slept with someone inappropriate."

"I think those days are behind her Karev. Don't worry. Anyway, aren't you the only inappropriate one left? Are you planning on sleeping with her?"

"God no! But on her previous history surely Hunt would be the most inappropriate."

"You're an ass. Do you want my help or not?"

"Okay. Please. Will you just try and talk to her? This, 'I don't want to be with him, but I don't want us not to be together' crap, it's making my head hurt and it's clearly beyond Pierce. I may not be Shepherd's biggest fan, but I don't really want to think about a world without the two of them together in it."

"Be careful Karev, your showing your sensitive side."

"Bull. I just can't have her showing up and climbing into bed all the time kicking my girlfriend out."

"She never kicked Owen or Burke out, not really. I never turfed Derek anywhere he didn't want to go himself. Stand up for your woman unless you want Mer in your bed! Oh lord I may have made myself physically ill."

"For God's sake! Shut it! Stop bothering me and go and help fix this or at least unpick it to a point that I don't need to hear about it anymore."

"Sure Alex. Keep telling yourself you don't care. It got old years ago."

"Owen. I had someone text Karev that I'd call when I was out of surgery. Why are you calling?"

"You need to come home Cristina."

"I need to what? We had agreed Owen. It's done."

"No, you don't understand. It's Meredith she needs you."

"Is this about Derek and the woman on the phone? It's all going to be fine. I can't believe Karev's pulled you into this. He needs to grow a pair."

"I'm getting this all wrong… Cristina, Derek has died. Meredith collapsed when she told us. I've got her in a room sedated. You need to come home."

"Derek's what?"

"He died Cristina. An awful road accident. I don't have all the details. All we know is that Meredith needs you. You need to come."

"Who's with her now? Where are the children?"

"Bailey was with her and now Alex is. He says he won't leave the room 'til you get here. I've sent the children home with Amelia and Maggie."

"Okay. Tell him I'll call him when I get to the airport. I need an hour to go home and get a bag and then at least two hours to clear international security. Can you get me the first plane three hours from now? Anywhere in the States, I can connect."

"Of course. I already have options for you."

"Owen?"

"Cristina?"

"Are you okay?"

"I will be."

"Owen? Thank you."

* * *

"Have you heard from her?"

"Karev?"

"Have you heard from Mer?"

"I just got home."

"That's not an answer. Are you covering for her?"

"Alex, you need to calm down. What the hell is going on."

"She's done a midnight flip"

"Jetlagged here. Speak more clearly."

"She left in the middle of the night. Just a suitcase and the kids. So, I'm asking do you know where she is?"

"You're not asking, you're yelling."

"I swear to God Yang. You haven't heard me yell yet, now DO YOU KNOW WHERE SHE IS?"

"I don't."

"Have you heard from her?"

"Nothing since I left for the airport."

"Check your mails? Is there anything there?"

"I've been looking while you've been bellowing. I swear there's nothing. Did she leave a letter or a note?"

"One line, apparently she and the kids are fine. God only knows where, but fine."

"Look she's grieving. Give her a week and she'll be back. The first thing you'll know is she'll be stood at the board booking and OR and she will be fine."

"I'm not sure. Promise that you'll let me know if you hear from her. Even if she tells you not to. At least let me know she's okay."

"Alright."

* * *

"Karev, what have you heard?"

"Nothing. The only positive is that she doesn't appear to have disconnected her phone. It still rings out."

"It's not a great positive."

"It's all I got today."

"She hasn't been answering to me either and I have no idea if she's reading my mails. I sent her my journal article and that didn't even get a bite.

"I saw that. Good job… After I tried her dad; I even tracked down her other sister, you know the army one on Sunday."

"Why would she know anything. You're losing it."

"I know but I can't just sit here and do nothing."

* * *

"Hey. I've now spoken to every one of the freaking Shepherd sisters. It's not enough that I have to work with the chatty one, they've all got my damn number now."

"Why did you call them?"

"They're on the East Coast. I thought maybe she'd taken the following her mom thing seriously and gone to Boston."

"Not a terrible idea but she wouldn't have gone to them and surely the Shepherdess would have known if that was the case."

"There's no love lost there; between her and the rest of the family. Anyway, they said no, as did every hospital in the greater Boston area who I called."

"Hospitals?"

"Yes, I've been calling surgery departments looking for a Dr Grey."

"Okay there's something in that maybe but as usual you're thinking too small."

"What's your great idea then?"

"Get Owen to speak to the AMA, the Board or the insurers. I think you've got the kernel of something. There's no way she's not cutting, and they'll know where. Even if it's private practice."

"Hunt? He's gone to Jordan. Went months ago with Kepner."

"With Kepner as in _with_ Kepner?"

"God no! Just gone."

"I'm being paged."

"Yang wait! Are you alright? Yang? YANG?"

* * *

"She doesn't want to be found. She's still not responding to mails."

"I know, nothing new from this side."

"I know what to do with dark and twisty Meredith. I know what to do with pretending everything's okay Meredith. I know what to do with a sulky Meredith. Back in the day I knew what to do with drank too much, screwed everything in sight Meredith but I have zero idea what to do with totally missing, can't be found Meredith."

"You think I don't get it? Yang, you got her through an unusually high amount of crazy even for this place. Then, you left me in charge for less than a year and I've lost her. Like, physically no idea where in the actual world she and the kids might be, lost."

"Enough of the pity party. What do we try next?"

"I'm out of ideas. At this point I keep ringing in the hope that I piss her off enough that she answers. As plans go it's sketchy."

"It pains me to say it, but I have nothing else."

* * *

"She answered the damn phone!"

"What!"

"I rang whilst waiting for the never-cooking turkey to cook and she answered. She's actually answered."

"And?"

"'I'm fine, the kids are fine. Stop calling Alex.'"

"That's it?"

"That was it."

"Oh."

"Okay, it wasn't quite what I'd been hoping for but it's a start."

"Are you going to stop calling?"

"Are you going to stop writing?"

"She didn't ask me to."

"No, of course I'm not. I'm not giving up now."

* * *

"Operation piss her off into contacting you still not working then?"

"Nothing since Thanksgiving."

"Hey still nothing at all for me."

"I know it's stupid, but I bought presents for Zola and Bailey."

"You do make it difficult to remember that you were once a truly awful person."

"Don't be an ass. I just thought you know, first Christmas without their dad. That sucks right? You know that."

"I'm Jewish."

"Funny. You also know what I mean. I really thought she'd bring them home, let them have it in that big dreamhouse he built for them. Let them have it with their family.

"I think in a Meredith sort of way that's what she is doing. There were four of them, there's three now. They need to get used to that. She's giving them all time."

"They have family here. All of us - not just Shepherd and Pierce."

"I know."

"I'm afraid she's not coming back."

"Meredith dances to her own music, you know that. I think she'll be back, but it will be her terms. It always is really. Look I know we don't do this but what about you? You can't carry on in stasis like this. Are you going to marry that girl or what?"

"I can't think about that now…Hey, Happy Hanukkah Yang."

"Happy Christmas Karev."

* * *

"Yang, I've found her. Well she's found me."

"What? Where?"

"Don't panic but she's in hospital in San Diego. She's had a baby!"

"She's had a what?"

"A baby! Little girl; healthy. C-section but she and Mom are doing well."

"And you've actually spoken to her? Are you sure she's okay?"

"No. She's still in recovery. I've spoken to the surgeon who worked on her though and she said everything's fine although she's had to have some blood. Apparently, Zola rang for an ambulance and they got her there in enough time."

"That's good. It's good she's okay. It's good they called you."

"Look I've got to get to the airport, I'll le you know how I get on. When will I see you?"

"See me?"

"You're coming right?"

"I can't. I have a transplant being prepped on the table as we speak and we've got a trial underway with some key dates this month."

"You're not coming?"

"Not right now, no."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I don't joke about surgery. Look this is good news, thanks for calling. I'll ring tomorrow."

* * *

"Cristina?"

"She lives."

"Don't be like that."

"Like what?"

"Christina."

"Meredith."

"Fine I get it. You're pissed. You have a right to be. Everyone does. But I needed time Cristina. I needed space. I mean, Derek's gone, he's really gone."

"I know that."

"It's just, it was all too much. I mean even the house. Every tiny thing; the floors, the kitchen, even where the sinks are in the bathrooms. He planned it all for us. It was supposed to be our dream forever house. And then he wasn't there. And I'd lie in bed at night and all I could think was I'm in our dream forever house without him. And the what-ifs were deafening. It all got too much."

"The what-ifs?"

"The what-ifs. What if I'd just gone to DC when you left? What if that woman hadn't answered his phone and he'd stayed there and not been back in Seattle? What if he hadn't stopped to help those people? What if he'd had better doctors? What if's they creep up on you at night. Fill the rooms."

"And you think they'll be gone now?"

"No, I think they're still there but I'm ready to tell them where to go now. It's time for me to be me again."

"And you're doing that in Seattle?"

"Yes, Alex is on his way now to take us back. We're pretty much packed."

"You're flying?"

"Well when the only other option is taking a long hour road trip with two kids and a pretty much constantly hungry newborn flying starts to seem like it could be okay. Alex said he wasn't up for driving twenty hours with Zola kicking his seat, Bailey barfing and me dripping milk everywhere."

"Always a charmer hey? Mer?"

"What."

"I'm glad you're okay. Even if you didn't repond to a single call or mail in months."

"I'm sorry about that. And yes I think I will be."

"You need to apologise to Alex."

"I need to do what?"

"He's been beside himself since you left. I think maybe put a lot of things on hold. He feels guilty as hell."

"Well that's ridiculous."

"Did I ever say he wasn't ridiculous? Apologise."

* * *

"Jo wants to go join the army."

"I'm prepping a lecture here."

"Jo wants to join the army and Meredith wants to move in."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Who else would I tell?"

"Literally anyone else in the world."

"Come on. Just a minute. I've been an ass."

"This is not news."

"Yang I'm serious. Mer wants to move in with me; with us. Jo wants us to go do a Kepner."

"No one should ever do a Kepner. Whichever way you look at it. Look I'm busy so I'm going to play along with this to get you off the phone. What are you going to do?"

"I want to stay here. This is home. I've settled, put down roots. And now Mer's finally back it feels like everything could be okay again. I don't see that having her and the kids stay would be a bad thing. They were pretty good when I was with them in San Diego, it was kind of fun."

"Then there's your answer then but maybe think about phrasing it differently to Wilson."

"Too late."

"You're a moron."

* * *

"He wants me to buy the house back. Well, I think, more accurately she wants me to buy the house back."

"I thought you were just staying there for a while?"

"Well if I buy it then I guess we're staying."

"I'm not following. You already have a house."

"Wilson's found this place, this absolutely awful place and she wants Alex to buy it with her. To do that they need me to buy the house back from Alex."

"Wilson really didn't want to live with you, did she?"

"This is not about me."

"Well that's a refreshing perspective from you but on this occasion, you're wrong. This is absolutely about you. I mean they've been together for ages right. Longer than we ever thought he'd manage with anyone. At some point they'll marry and want to do kids and all that jazz. Can they do that with you and the kids playing candy land in the living room? I mean hot sex on the kitchen worktop isn't quite so hot when there's a baby in a hire chair watching."

"Cristina don't be gross. I don't want to think about Wilson having sex on my mother's kitchen worktops in front of my babies. It's wrong. Badly wrong. Anyway, they're miles away from marriage and families and all of that. I just think this is a step back for him. I mean he's been determined to be an adult; to grow up. He bought a house and a proper car. He owns suits now. Multiple suits. A loft in the middle of crack central feels like decidedly the wrong path. She's younger. It's fun for her buying her first place, I get that. But she's dragging him backwards with her."

"You're focusing on the wrong thing here. Are you going to buy the house?"

"It's home."


	2. Season 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 12. The phone lines keep ringing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is intended to be just a snapshot of calls. Not all of them

"She put a hole in my wall."

"Is that a euphemism?"

"It is not. I mean my sister-in-law has taken an actual sledgehammer to my wall."

"Which wall?"

"Not sure that's the point."

"Well it's two o clock in the morning so it's the point I have right now."

"Between the living room and the kitchen."

"That could work."

"You're not helping."

"Look Mer, you have three choices, live with the hole as it stands and be annoyed by it daily; fill in the hole and occasionally ponder what could have been; finish the hole and hope the house doesn't fall down."

"Are you trying to be philosophical?"

"No, I'm trying to sleep."

* * *

"Guess who's been nominated for a Cardiac Innovation Award by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery!

"Cristina that is amazing news! Congratulations!"

"I mean it's no Harper-Avery but it is a big thing over here."

"Hey when in Rome slash Geneva…"

"Exactly."

"I also have news."

"Go on."

"You're talking to the new Head of General Surgery at Grey-Sloan!"

"Oh my god Mer! That's amazing news! Congratulations! This, this is what we imagined right? Top of our games; awards, big jobs."

"I wish you were here though."

"I know."

"No really, I wish you were here. Amelia and Maggie want me to throw a dinner party to celebrate."

"A dinner party? What's wrong with tequila and a dive bar?"

"Three kids now Cristina. Three kids!"

* * *

"Yang, I'm in over my head."

"Not news and yet you've been doing a great job hiding it for years. Why the sudden loss of faith?"

"Did you hear about the dinner party?"

"In the time I've know you, you've had syphilis and dealt with a crazy girlfriend with a hysterical pregnancy, and they're just the first things that spring to mind. A dinner party's broken you? Are you wimping out on me Karev?"

"It's Mer. It's serious."

"What happened?"

"Short story, Callie's new girlfriend was the doctor; well one of the doctors who treated Derek the night he died. She's currently on the porch crying after all her new colleagues were told she killed him. Amelia and Meredith have had a blazing fight. I've got Amelia in her room in tears, Meredith vibrating with rage and I can't get Ellis back to sleep. What do I do Cristina? She's so angry and she looks so sad. She looks broken."

"Crap!"

"What do I do? I've asked her what she wants, and she just sits there."

"Okay. Let's triage it. Not urgent, not important – leave the Shepherdess to someone else, I don't really care who; urgent not important - hand the baby off to someone ideally Robbins or Bailey. Urgent and important - Meredith. Get her some quiet and get her tequila and do _not_ leave her alone."

* * *

"I'm so freaking angry with her Cristina!"

"Who? The Shepherdess? Don't sweat it, it'll work itself out."

"No not Amelia. Wilson. Jo Wilson."

"What did she do? Kill a patient? Let's face it, it was always on the cards."

"No, she turned him down."

"What?"

"Alex. He proposed, and she turned him down. Again."

"If he did it as badly as the first time I don't blame her."

"Cristina don't be flippant. He's heartbroken. He did do it properly. I've been holding onto the ring for weeks and it's a beauty."

"Oh."

"Yet now he's moved back in and he's hurting and he's angry. I don't want to lose good Karev, he's worked too hard at it. She can't break him like this."

"What? He's back in the house?"

"Yes, in his old room. I mean his old, old room. Where else would he be?"

"You said yourself she's young and he says she can be squirrelly. Why's he pushing this?"

"She's not that young – we were all married by this point in our residency."

"And that worked out well for anyone other than you? Whose the role model here George and Callie? Alex and Izzie? I'm hardly a role model on this front"

"I'm sorry. Did you say squirrelly? Has he's been talking to you about this? You and Alex talk matters of the heart? Colour me 've been together plenty long enough and God knows we all know life is short. Anyway, I need to go, he was reading Zo her story and I need to go kiss her goodnight and tuck her in."

"Mer?"

"What?"

"If he's reading your kids bedtime stories I don't think evil spawn Karev is at risk of a resurgence. Give him some time. He'll be fine."

* * *

"Cristina. I know you said you were doing that thing in Japan but is there any way you can come home?"

"Seattle isn't my home any more Owen."

"I know that, but she needs you, to be honest I think they both do."

"How is she doing?"

"At this point it's the hearing loss that has us most worried. The chest tube came out today which is good and Callie says the arm is coming along as well as can be expected. Her jaw is still wired, and the leg is not healing as well as we'd like, but the hearing is the waiting game."

"And Karev?"

"Running himself ragged. He's had a couple of patients he's had to see through the OR and he's with Meredith most nights. Maggie and Amelia are doing what they can with the kids but I get the sense that the little two have both been pretty clingy with him."

"He's great with the kids no matter what he says otherwise, he'll be fine."

"Look just think about it Cristina, please. She's going to be in the hospital at least a few more weeks. It would be good for her."

"I'm not sure it would be and right now I don't think Karev would forgive me."

"What?"

"Leaving last year was the best thing she ever did. I mean not the way she did it but getting out of that place. Seriously Owen, what more does she need to go through before she sees that. She nearly got blown up at work, she lost a baby at that hospital, she nearly lost her husband, hell we all nearly died because of the hospital. Now, now she's horrifically attacked doing her job. I don't think either of them what to hear that point of view right now."

"Be reasonable. This could have happened to any doctor."

"Maybe. But now I don't want to be reasonable. My best friend is in a hospital bed, not for the first or even the second time because of her job; because of where she works. And I'm scared okay? I'm scared and I'm pissed. Karev's her emergency contact and her medical proxy these days right? He's on this. He's her person for this. The world moves on. You've moved on. Just let me angry and scared and pissed for a bit and then I'll be there."

* * *

"You made it back okay then? Nothing some serious sleeping pills can't do to make a plane ride tolerable? It's a shame you couldn't stay."

"I couldn't Mer, we've a huge funding pitch at the end of the week. I've left more of it to others than is sensible as is."

"I know. You're super important."

"Yes, yes I am… Mer there's something I wanted to ask?"

"Go on."

"You and Karev? What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you that first night when I arrived. He was on the bed with you. And I mean he was curled around you so closely you couldn't get so much as a piece of mesh in between you. I heard the nurses talking. It wasn't the first time."

"What? What are you asking?"

"There's no need to be defensive. I just wondered. It looked intimate, hell I saw how he was. It was intimate."

"Not in the way you're implying."

"I'm not implying anything. And even if I was would it be such a bad thing? You're allowed another go at life. Even if Karev would be an odd choice."

"If you'd still been here it would have been you in that bed with me. It would have been you. No one would have been casting aspersions like this."

"I'm not casting aspersions. You need to calm down. I was just asking. I just meant I'm here if you want to talk. Where is the evil one anyway? He'll kick my ass if he hears you getting wound up like this."

"He's not here. I've sent him back to crack central with Wilson."

"You've done what?"

"He loves her Cristina. I don't quite know why but he does. And she, well she loves him too. So, I've sent him home."

"If you love it, let it be free."

"Exactly. I mean. No! They just needed a wake-up call to stop being quite so stubborn. I delivered. On a silver platter. Now do me a favour can we never talk of this again."

* * *

"Did Meredith say anything to you about me and Jo?"

"Yes, she told me that Missy told her, that Tiffany told her that she'd heard from Petey down by the football fields."

"You're funny. Really did she say anything?"

"What should she be saying?"

"Come on Yang. This isn't twenty questions."

"I'm not interested in this."

"Pretend for me for two minutes please. I'm confused here."

"Go on then."

"I asked Jo to marry me and she sort of didn't say anything so I moved out. Then when Meredith was back she told me that Jo was my post-it and I needed to go back. So I went back and now she's being really weird."

"Who Jo or Meredith?"

"Well both. But I get what's wrong with Meredith."

"Which is?"

"Oh, she and Shepherd are still having issues and they've been at each other all day over a patient. Hey, in fact she was one of your first patients… Katie… Katie something."

"Katie Bryce? The twirler pageant girl"

"Yeah, that's the one. She showed up this morning with an aneurism and since then Mer and Amelia have been going at it all day. Plus, she's on this odd second chances kick. But anyway, I meant Jo. She says I should keep the ring but she's not ready for it yet? Do you think that means she will be?"

"I swear Karev you need to find some other friends. Do you never just think 'I'll go hassle Jackson with this stuff' or maybe Webber."

"No, I do not. Anyway I can't talk to Jackson; I know Kepner's pregnant and not told him. I'm not going anywhere near that one."

"Remember when you were mean and no one ever told you anything?"

"Shut up. Look I'd talk to Mer but like I said she's all 'you're alive take your chances.' But I don't want to take my chances; I've been taking chances all my life it's time for some guarantees. I don't want to be ten years older, living in a loft with the ring we don't talk about still in a drawer."

"There's your answer. Look, if I learned one thing from me and Owen. Sometimes love isn't enough. Sometimes if you feel differently on the big stuff, kids, marriage, whatever you aren't ever going to work it through. Now please leave me alone. I have a date tonight and lots of paperwork between now and then."

"You have a date?"

"I'm going now."

* * *

"Do you think I'm hard on Wilson?"

"I don't know Meredith, I don't work with you any more. But if you aren't then you should be. Residents need tough attendings that's how you make good surgeons. You know that."

"That's what I said, but Maggie and Callie said you're supposed to like them too."

"Pah what new age nonsense is that. I mean its great if you get a good one who you like, but your job is to train them. Not be their friend. They should make their own friends."

"Even if they're sleeping with one of your person?"

"I thought you said she was his post-it. That's a bit more than on-call room sex."

"How do you know I said that? Actually, never mind. My point is she blew at me earlier. Said I needed to take her seriously. Said I needed to take her and Alex seriously. She said I needed my own boyfriend… stop laughing, it's not funny."

"It's a little bit funny. Is she wearing the damn ring yet?"

"No. Well then I'm guessing that's on her mind. Look you're head of your own department. You rule general surgery. If you need to train her, train her. Be hard. Push her. She's going to be a surgeon in her own OR one day. If you're punishing her because you think she's messing Karev about, that's not okay. Or at least it's not okay in the OR. Take her to the bar give her what for if you must get involved."

"Damn I'm going to have to talk to her."

* * *

"You should have been here today Yang."

"Is this about the hot army doctor? I think that's going to happen."

"That wasn't what I meant. It's happening as we speak. He came and picked her up. I did good work."

"I don't know, sounds like you nearly blew it to me. Protested just a little bit too much maybe. Although the first-time afters thing was nice. Poetry in fact."

"You're mocking me."

"Of course, I'm mocking you. I loved to mock you. If there is one bad thing about my amazing job in my amazing facility where disasters don't befall staff every month it is that it has radically reduced my availability to mock you."

"You're in fine form this morning. Did you get laid?"

"Today is not the day I am going to start talking about my sex life with you. I am however undeniably relieved to hear that Mer actually made it out with this guy."

"It won't stick. The point about first-time afters is that they help you move on. They're not the end goal."

"Don't be so serious. So she has a palate cleanser. Let army guy be sorbet. See what happens. Any way if you weren't calling about that what was it?"

"We missed you today in there. We closed the clock at close to eighteen hours, triple transplant for a kid. No matter how good Pierce is, and frankly good or not she was a pain in the ass today, I still think that should have been me and you and Mer in there."

"Karev, you're delirious from lack of sleep. Go home, you'll be embarrassed about this in the morning."

* * *

"And I just handed it over. After making all that fuss I just handed it over. And now he's put it with Bailey."

"Are we picking up half way through something I don't remember because you're calling in the early hours of the morning? Or perhaps because you are now just entirely insane"

"The blanket. Derek's blanket."

"The ugly brownish one?"

"Exactly. You get me Cristina."

"I really don't right now. What about the blanket."

"The blanket was about me not being ready. I freaked about Will and then the blanket calmed me down. And then when Will came back I just bundled it at Alex like it didn't mean everything."

"I'm trying here, I really am. But what the hell? Will is hot army guy?"

"Yes, he stayed over and then I panicked this morning."

"Was it bad?"

"No, it was … look I went through this already. It was good, but I panicked and then I cleaned all day. Then I found Derek's blanket and everything made more sense."

"Glad it did to someone."

"So we're sitting there. I built a fire and we're sitting there; me and Alex and Maggie and Amelia. My children are upstairs sleeping, and I'm calm again. It felt comfortable you know. I wasn't alone. Owas with family. Will came to apologise and I stopped Alex sending him away. But going outside to talk to him with Derek's blanket felt wrong someone. So I just bundled it up and shoved it at Alex and then I forgot it. After dinner I went to find it thinking he's put it in the cupboard and then I realised when he went to give Ellis her bottle he's laid it down over Bailey's bed."

"I'm struggling to see the issue here Mer. The blanket is important and it's somewhere safe? And now you get to tell Bailey about it. It's a good thing."

"Yeah but…"

* * *

"I hear Wilson applied for the Preminger Grant."

"Did you now?What else did your twisty source tell you?"

"Nothing. What are you going to do if she wins it?"

"Take her out for expensive cocktails then come home and have great celebratory sex."

"Karev, be serious."

"I am being."

"So will you go with her?"

"Go with her?"

"Yes go with her. I'm asking what are your plans if she gets it. Will she go to New York and you stay there or will you with her?"

"I' have zero desire to live in New York. I guess we'd do long distance for the year. We'll figure it out if we need to. Did you really ring about this?"

"No I rang to ask about paediatrics."

"First time for everything."

"No genuinely. We're doing some research and I'm looking for a pedes guy with a focus on cardio. Any ideas?"

* * *

"She's been keeping a gun under their bed. A freaking gun!"

"Who?" What?"

"Jo Wilson. She's been keeping a gun under their bed. Has she not seen the scar? Did she not think for a minute about how he might feel about this?"

"You know this how? What have you been doing under their bed?"

"Alex told me. Why are you not freaked out by this? Cristina, we were there. We sat by his bed after he was shot. And Derek's bed. And Owen's. I changed the damn dressings. We lugged him home and then got him back to work. We pretended the elevator thing, and the keeping the bullet in thing was normal until he was ready to deal. She's been keeping a gun under their bed."

"You're really shrill right now."

"I'm really pissed right now."

"There'll be a reason. It may make no sense to you or I, but then we've had guns waved in our faces. You have to back off and let him deal with this."

"But…"

"Meredith let him deal with it."

* * *

"She's being impossible!"

"Why good evening to you too Dr Karev. Would you like to hear about my fantastic day working on my latest research project?"

"No!"

"It's really very cool. Totally new approach to pericardiectomy in teens."

"Well, yes then maybe I do, but first you need to deal with Meredith; she's freaking out."

"Day to day freakouts that's your job, now."

"It is not just my job, I have an actual job. I thought the deal was we split it, and she's on a total downer. She's choosing to be unhappy and miserable. She's utterly unwilling to try."

"Try what?"

"Men, love, anything. Hell, even if she doesn't want it for herself she's now being a negative nellie on anyone who does. She's been absurdly negative about anyone trying to be happy all day."

"Did you just say negative Nellie? You need to hang out with adults sometimes for a try. Is this about Wilson?"

"What? No! Well a little bit not just me and Jo. She's been all dark about Amelia trying to be happy. She even tried to suggest our patients were suffering from PTSD romance. I mean she's being unreasonable."

"PTSD romance? Post traumatic lust I understand but romance. Please!"

"She told me to elope because she didn't want to have to be bothered with a wedding."

"Easy there tiger, you need a bride first. Look she's a widow, she thinks she'd had the great love of her life and her attempts to get back on the horse with hot army guy wasn't exactly a success by any well understood definition of the term."

"He wasn't that hot. Anyway, she said it was too soon then. But she's still young and funny and hot and she shouldn't just be shutting up shop for good. And if she is determined to be miserable and celibate then she should at least not be all down on the rest of us. Hell I thought I'd married the love of my life and then she up and left me. Left me with debts up to my eyeballs and I still tried again. After the Burke thing you tried again. What's wrong with her?"

"It's different and you know it. But I'll talk to her anyway."

* * *

"Mer, is now a good time? I am up to date with paperwork, I am not on call and I have my journal article in draft ready to go. I have a large glass of wine and I am ready to talk."

"It really isn't."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Alex. He turned up drunk and pitiful in the middle of the night and I think it might be my fault."

"Your fault?"

"I had kind of a bad day yesterday and got on his case a bit."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I commented that he and Wilson, had the right idea, going slow. I recommended they elope if they ever decided to get on with it and he got pretty snippy with me. Seems like from there, whilst I was having sex with Riggs in the hospital parking lot, he went home and proposed again and she said no."

" Shit."

"I know. And now he's back in the spare room again and is adamant that this is it. I don't know why she keeps doing this to him. And Ellis is cutting a tooth and Amelia looks to be about one night away from an epic freak out and Maggie's Maggie."

"I may also have commented on their glacial pace yesterday, and the fact that she wasn't in any rush to be a bride."

"You did what?"

"I know."

"Whilst perplexed that you and Alex talk about his love life at all, what on earth possessed you?"

"It just came up. I didn't mean anything by it and it doesn't sound like you were any the more supportive. What's he going to do?"

"He says he is done. That's she won't say if or when she'll be ready and he can't just keep waiting."

"Is it really bad form for me to tell you about this guy I just met then? Then we follow up on 'sex in the parking lot' – which, by the way is just nasty! Tell me it was at least off to the left where the security cameras don't point."

"I do not want to know why you know that. But a guy?"

"Yes, first guy since Owen that I've thought, 'well maybe more than one night' kind of a thing. I like him, I really do."

"Okay, let me go check on the children and see if I can get Alex to hand over his scotch and I'll be back."


	3. Season 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 13 and there's plenty to talk about as the phone keep ringing.

"Life sucks."

"How so?"

"Do you want to hear about Kepner having an un-anaesthetised c-section on my kitchen table…"

"That woman might be weird, but there is no denying that she's hardcore."

"Or perhaps you'd like to hear about my night and morning trying to bail Alex out of jail?"

"Who did he hit?"

"How do you know he hit someone?"

"Please! You say this like you've not personally pulled him off what four, five people over the years? Stitched him up? Look some of the edges may have been polished down and he's not the absolute ass he used to be but he's a brawler."

"That's not fair Cristina, he's worked hard to be a better man. He's better than that guy now."

"I know he's worked hard but the fact is you just bailed him out of jail. I'm sure once he calmed down he'll be fine."

"HE'S NOT GOING TO BE FINE THIS TIME!"

"Okay then maybe you need to be the one to calm down. Tell me what happened."

"He nearly killed one of the interns Cristina. He walked in on this guy, De Luca, over Jo on the bed at the loft and he lost his mind could have blinded him. Jackson's had to operate."

"He did what? He's going to lose his license!"

"You think I don't know that. He's very subdued and saying he's ready for whatever comes and I'm trying to be positive but God..."

"Okay no more cheerleader. That's going to freak him, and everybody out. It's time to be practical. Get him tidied up, smartened up and back at work. He needs to go talk to Bailey. If she can save him she will. Probably push him around a bit first but he'll need that too. She's worked too hard to just flush him now. And you, you need to go sleep. You're no use to anyone running on fumes."

"Thanks Cristina."

* * *

"Karev. How's it going?"

"Are things that bad for you to be calling?"

"I call. Now spill it."

"They're pretty bad. I think Jo's finished with me, I'm out of the OR and benched down to the clinic and I'm pretty sure I'm going to prison. And I have to go to therapy."

"At least one of those things doesn't sound so bad. But Alex."

"Not you too please. Mer keeps looking at me with these huge sad eyes like she just wants to make everything better. And she can't and it kills me that I've pulled her into this mess as well. I just, I'm supposed to be better than this now."

"I know. But she's got your back. We both do. You know this."

"I can't talk about this any more."

"Okay then tell me about this Riggs guy."

"He's a jackass. New cardio guy, he's got some kind of history with Hunt who is _not_ a fan, he worked with Kepner when she went to Jordan – huge ego, military lingo at every turn. Pierce is into him."

"Pierce is into him?"

"Yup."

"What about Mer?"

"Oh you heard about that? He's been after her for a while I think. Lots of flirty comments flying around. And looks, the looks are getting really old. I just assumed it was one way but no, apparently she did him in the lot. In her car. The car she drives her children around in. Pierce doesn't know. And I am saying nothing, I've already been thrown out of one home this month."

"You two are a hot mess without me."

"No fight from me. You want to come back and fix it?"

"Night Karev."

* * *

"You were right you know?"

"I'm always right. What about?"

"Me. My instincts. Sure I'm not operating but I'm practicing good medicine. My instincts are still good. The clinic it's kept me in the game. You know I caught a case of pancreatic cancer today? From a rash and conversation in the line at the courthouse. And the other week I caught Ehlers-Danlos in this kid, I mean you can practice all your life and never see a case. I'm not a total waste of space."

"Ehlers-Danlos. Amazing. Never seen it."

"Well there you go. Look I need help Yang. I need you to get Meredith used to the idea I'm going away. She's still refusing to talk about it and if I mention she just looks at me with the eyes. She needs to toughen up."

"She'll be fine. It's Meredith, she always fine in the end. Worry about you right now."

"Helpful thanks."

* * *

"It's loud there."

"I'll move. It's waffle Sunday."

"It's what?"

"It's waffle Sunday. Alex, me, the kids, Maggie, Amelia. We do waffle Sundays now."

"Do _you_ cook the waffles?"

"Hell no. It's Alex' thing."

"God, times change. It feels like no time at all since you were all stressed about Izzie baking. Now her ex husband is cooking your kids waffles on a weekly basis and you seem fine with it."

"Izzie's obsession and angst about the baking was more annoying than the actual baking. Often the cakes were really very good. This is different. It's Bailey getting excited to beat the mix, and Alex helping Zo pour it into the mould and then someone else cleaning up. This is messy and fun not at all like Izzie and her anguish fuelled baking. Also that was a lifetime ago."

"Did you ever think about telling him he couldn't move back?"

"Who? Alex? No. why?"

"He beat someone up really badly, Mer. Did it never even cross your mind he shouldn't be near your kids?"

"No! He'd never hurt them, or me. He did something stupid, something he regrets hugely but the circumstances were against him and has nothing to do with this right now. He's fine with the kids, they love him. He loves them."

"You should maybe think about that?"

"Sure, sure but now I've got to go. Mine's ready and Maggie is eyeing it's like it's a prize she won."

* * *

"He's taking a plea."

"No way, he's not a quitter."

"I'm telling you he's gone there now. Came and gave me a big 'time to face the consequences' spiel. Wouldn't listen to anything I said just kept telling me that I'll be fine."

"You will be. You're Meredith Grey."

"I'll tell you what I told him. This is not about me. It's about him. Every damn step of the way he's fought. Crappy start in life, crappy family. He fought it. Getting a place here. He fought."

"Strictly speaking he lied."

"He fought. After Izzie he could have gone back to being the enormously awful person he was before but he didn't, he fought. He's a good man and he's got there because he fought for it. Now he's throwing it all away for a woman who couldn't be straight with him."

"Who?"

"Wilson. Apparently she's married and afraid because she was called as a witness. He's literally giving up a career and two years of his life for her. He'll never be the same."

"She's married?"

"Three times he's proposed to her. They bought a place, they talked about kids. It never once crossed her mind to say anything?"

"There has to be more to it than that."

"He said he wouldn't hug me because I was already scrubbed in. But I wasn't, I touched my top. But I let him walk out of there anyway."

"Well get off the damn phone to me. Call him and get him back before he destroys himself playing white knight. Maybe there's more to this Wilson thing but we won't know if he throws himself under the bus. Go get him back."

"What happened? You can; just go radio silent on me like that?"

* * *

"Karev's an idiot."

"Well yes, but is he an idiot in the slammer?"

"No he's an idiot who's been tucked up in my bed all day whilst I've been worried sick and traipsing around the Washington criminal justice system. My feet hurt, I stink and I'm almost ready to kill him."

"So he's not in prison?"

"No"

"He's not on the run?"

"No"

"He's just in your bed."

"Yes.. oh shut up it's not funny."

* * *

"She's gone and got herself suspended."

"Is there no end to your drama? I swear you were better when I was around."

"Er no. There were drownings and bombs and surgery at gunpoint and plane crashes. Life with you was not drama free. There is also a _lot_ less tequila these days."

"What's happened?"

"She's had a run in with Bailey about the woman who's replaced Webber."

"Webber's been sacked?"

"More like demoted."

"What the hell?"

"Stay on point Yang. Meredith. She's been suspended and she's at home talking about socks, and making us packed lunches and dying of boredom."

"Leave her to me. Meredith isn't Meredith if she's not cutting."

"Only one other thing. Last night while we were in bed watching TV…"

"Really you weren't going to lead with that?"

"What? I've not finished. We all got an e-mail. Bailey's promoted Kepner to interim chief."

"It's like the twilight zone. You're sleeping together? Neither of you thought to mention this?"

"What? No! Meredith, Maggie and I were watching TV in her bedroom. Amelia's crashing so the sofa is my bed so now we watch TV upstairs. This is not the thing. The thing is Meredith is going to go nuts at home; may in fact already have gone nuts at home and Kepner has her job."

"Well played Bailey!"

"What?"

"She's playing a long game. I don't know quite what, but it's smart. Make a stand with Mer, make Kepner a scapegoat. I see some of the pieces. Leave this with me."

* * *

"So you're back at work? All is as it should be again?"

"I'm swearing off men."

"I've heard that one before."

"Seriously more trouble than it's worth – even if the sex had been pretty good."

"This is Nathan we're talking about? And you're walking away from that because…"

"He's an arrogant ass. He totally undermined Alex on a pedes case today and this was after Alex had been pushing me to go for it with him. He actually put the patient on the list without parental consent and behind Alex' back?"

"What for."

"Heart."

"They found a heart for a newborn that was a match? Do you have any idea how difficult that is? How rare? What was the alternative proposed treatment?"

"A Norwood I think."

"Look, a Norwood would have been a great plan b assuming the child was strong enough but the transplant's the jackpot. I'm not saying Karev made the wrong call, but I am saying the transplant was the best chance for a good long-term outcome."

"I didn't ring for a consult."

"Well if you're planning to give up great sex based on that or the fact that Alex's ego has taken a beating, then a second opinion was exactly what you needed."

* * *

"I'm a terrible person and a terrible sister."

"Are you ever going to figure out the time differences? Do you not remember that I like my sleep?"

"I'm serious Cristina. Maggie's lost her mom; her lovely kind mom who was pretty much the perfect mom straight from central casting. Not like my mom, who you know was more the slit your wrists in front of a five year old then ignore her in favour of working like a demon and winning awards type mom. Not even like your mom who's all demanding and can I take your eyebrows. I mean she was amazing. The kind of woman who people just liked you know? She made friends with all the nurses, my kids they loved her, and she cooked lasagne and she didn't think it was weird that we threw my mom's ashes in the scrub room. She was great."

"You seem to be freaking out."

"And then I agreed to go on a date with Nathan anyway."

"Oh."

"See I'm a terrible person."

"Kind of."

* * *

"Cristina."

"This better be good I was closing."

"I know but I wanted you to hear this from me."

"What's wrong with her Alex?"

"She's fine. But she was on a plane, they hit some pretty bad turbulence and they've had to make an emergency landing. There were some injuries up there… no not her, I said she's fine. But she and Riggs and some dentist have done some pretty cool stuff and it's going to be all over the news."

"But she's alight?"

"Uninjured. I spoke to her and other than an adrenalin come down she's good. She fixed a brain bleed with a syringe and the drinks trolley."

"She did what? And to think she used be afraid she was just ordinary. Our girl is fearless."

"Yes, yes she is."

"I told her when I left she shouldn't get on any tiny planes that crash. There's an irony there, right?"

"I don't know how the two of you do it. I wasn't even on that plane and I sweat having to go up in one just thinking about it."

"You think I don't? I just, at some point you have to keep going. You know that as well as any of us."

"I guess."

"Did you say she was with Riggs? She didn't tell me they were back together."

"They weren't together to be apart to be able to get _back_ together. Car sex is not together."

"You're starting to sound like her you know?"

"Anyway, sounds like a fluke. They were going to the same conference. Didn't know until they saw each other on the plane."

"Sure. Sure."

* * *

"Do you still feel the same way about kids?"

"Meredith's keeping you up all night? You trying to sell them?"

"If Ellis carries on with her wide awake at four AM thing, maybe."

"No. I've always been clear on this. Children deserve parents who want them, who'll love them. That's never going to be me."

"Now, not even with this guy? Sebastian?"

"Especially now. Look for the first time in forever I have the right balance. Seb lives in London, we see each other maybe three times a month maximum and it works. He's intelligent and we talk lots and I find him invigorating. He makes me more than I am. Not less. That works for me."

"Sounds lonely."

"It's really not. I'm on top of my game. I feel good. Now what's this really about? Don't you have enough kids around? You work with tiny babies and ankle biters all day. You're surrounded by them."

"I had this patient. She died. She and her best friend made one of those pacts, to have a kid together if they got to forty and hadn't you know? Settled?"

"Are you propositioning me? I do not want kids Karev. I especially don't want yours."

"NO! I just, you know I thought I'd have the whole package one day and now it just doesn't seem all that likely. In fact, it feels like it was all just a dream. It just made me think that's all. This poor guy he's lost his best friend, who I'm pretty sure he was in love with, and he's taking this tiny baby home with him. They thought they'd have at least 6 months together, then we told them 2 and now he's going home alone."

"You sent him home with his kid Alex. A kid they wanted. As for you, you're basically raising those children."

"I am not."

"Don't kid yourself. You feed them, you read to them. You were doing a school run for God's sake when I spoke to Mer last week. They're your family and you are theirs."

"We all pull together. Me and the sisters."

"Sure you do. Now I want to run something by you."

"Go on."

"I'm presenting at a conference in New Orleans in a few weeks. Do you think you and Mer might want to let the sisters pull together for a few days and come see me sans kids?"

"New Orleans?"

"Come on! You've had a shitty year. She's had several of them. It'd be good to see you both without anyone being dead or in a hospital bed. Some jazz, some hurricanes, a bit of dancing you know it'd be good."

"I'm not dancing."

"Dancing will not be compulsory."

"Hell, if Mer's in and Bailey says yes then I'm in."

"Excellent."

* * *

"Did he talk to you about this?"

"What's Karev done now?"

"He's run off to LA to try and find the husband and now he's not answering his phone. I don't know whether to get down there now ready to bail him out or wait to see if he's gone and got himself killed. I swear I can not believe he's doing this to me."

"How did he find him?"

"I think he hired a private eye. I mean seriously. He's not mentioned her for weeks. I thought he was getting over it and in the background he's making out like some kind of film noir hero?"

"Sit tight. I think he's going to be fine."

"Why is your glass half full on this? Did he talk to you about this?"

"No he didn't. But I do think he seems calmer. I think maybe he's testing himself. Give him some credit."

"Testing himself on what?"

"Walking away."

* * *

"There was an explosion?"

"How do you know. Surely this is not big news? Everyone's fine"

"I have a google alert – at this point keeping a virtual eye on Grey-Sloan seems wise. Is everyone really okay?"

"Pretty much. I mean Edwards, do you remember Edwards? She's got some burns but she got them saving a kid. She was a hero. Everyone else – we're still standing."

"I do have news though."

"Karev is back alive and well and hasn't killed anyone?"

"Well yes. But that wasn't the news. Nathan's fiancé the one he thought was dead. She's alive."

"Owen's sister?"

"One and the same?"

"How is he?"

"Owen? Shaken, on his way to the hospital to meet her when she flies in."

"Thank you. How about Nathan?"

"I haven't found him to tell him yet."

"Go, then."

* * *

"Hey thanks for the call earlier."

"It's fine. How did it go. Did you find Nathan?"

"Yes, I told him, and then I send him down there. He looked…happy. Overwhelmed but happy."

"I'm sorry Meredith."

"She isn't!"

"Is that Karev?"

"Yes it is, and if he doesn't shut it he can go find somewhere else to lie down. And I'm going to say to you what I said to him."

"Which was."

"Alex stop it, I know you're rolling your eyes even if I'm not looking at you. Don't be such a child. I told him it's a relief in a way. Nathan, he wanted to meet the kids and I wasn't ready. I'm not doing that to them until I'm ready and I know for sure. And I'll know sure when it feels like family."

"I can't imagine what that would look like for you"

"Well I'm not exactly looking right now."

"If you say so Mer. If you say so. Tell Alex good night. I'll see you both in two weeks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you stuck with me and my little experiment this far then thank you! And if you are wondering about New Orleans. It's on it's way.


End file.
